Cloak and Dagger
by SelfProclaimedFangirlKate
Summary: Emma Swan is lucky to be alive & owes her life to a good samaritan named Regina Mills. With no memory of who she is or why she was left for dead, Emma tries to put the pieces of her missing past back together with Regina's help. Perhaps fate has a twisted sense of humor. (Focus on SQ friendship; but also has est. OQ in the background. Not a romance story for either ship.) ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Time for a new story! Fun fact: this story concept is actually something I thought of back in middle school when I was hardcore into creative writing/wanted to be a novelist, but I never found the energy to write this particular story. Now two decades later, I finally found the motivation (and hopefully my writing will be better now than it would have been then! haha). This story is intended to be something along the lines of _Dark Matter, Gone Girl, Girl on the Train,_ etc...mystery/suspense with some thriller aspects. At its core, it is not a love story, but I think it will be a fun read nonethelss.

A few notes: this story will focus on the collaboration and support between Regina and Emma. While I like the SQ pairing, I also really love their friendship and the dynamic between two strong women, and that's what motivated me to use them to tell this story that's been in my head for years. Yes, there is established OQ in this, but that is a a subplot and not the focus (it is not an OQ love story fic), but Robin will be important to the development of the central storyline (after the first handful of chapters that are more introductory). I hope that both OQ and SQ fans can enjoy this, since it really doesn't focus on any romantic relationships and instead focuses on the larger story I'm trying to tell. It's a friendship, plot, and character-driven story.

This is a very ship-neutral story since there won't be any sex, dates, etc. that would upset fans of either ship. I hope that OQ fans won't have any issues with where I take this story (there won't be any adultery). I also hope that SQ fans can enjoy this even though Regina and Emma are not going to end up in bed together. I've tried to make it very clear in both the description and this A/N what this fic is about, so if you're looking for an OQ romance story (or a SQ romance), then don't click on it. Stick with fics that have your ship paired up in brackets (I have written both OQ and SQ romance fics, which you can find in my profile, but this is clearly not one of them).

To the anons who keep leaving reviews asking me to untag Robin because it's a SQ story and therefore think I'm trying to bait OQ fans or am being disrespectful, that is certainly not my intention, as it is not a SQ story in that way. I have both Robin and Emma (and Cora) tagged because they are characters who play or will play an important role in this story...there are no ships in this story, so all characters are tagged on their own. I want SQ shippers to know Robin will have substantial involvement in the story later on, and that this isn't a SQ romantic endgame. I also want OQ shippers to know Emma is a main character. If I didn't have Robin tagged, I would probably have many more readers, but I imagine some SQ shippers would feel like I was baiting them by not including Robin in the tags. I can't please everyone when the fandom is so divided along ship lines, so I'm trying to be as transparent as possible in an effort to avoid having fans of either ship getting upset when the other character shows up in the story. Personally I ship both OQ and SQ, but I know most people don't, and I certainly respect that. If you don't like a particular character, don't click on a fic where that character is tagged...that's why the character tags exist. Plus, to reiterate, this is not at all a romance fic, which is why I didn't tag any pairings.

I anticipate this being a pretty substantial fic in terms of length and complexity, so I hope you give it a chance even if it isn't your usual genre. If you do, I hope you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

"Yes, Robin, I know. Have a safe flight and I'll see you when you get back from London," Regina Mills said as she tapped her Ventra card against the cardreader before passing through the turnstile. "I love you, too. Give my love to your parents." She dropped her phone and her wallet back in her handbag as she walked quickly toward the stairs to the Brown Line L platform, the sound of her Prada stilettos echoing throughout the stairwell. She got there just in time to see the train departing. "Of course," she mumbled to herself, looking around for the train tracker display to see how long she'd have to wait for the next train. After her third night staying late at the office to work on a VIP client's project, she was looking forward to getting home and taking some time for herself. A bubble bath, applewood candle, and a glass of pinot noir were in order.

At 11pm on a Wednesday, the Brown Line station was nearly deserted. It was an unusually warm spring-like day for late March in Chicago, so she bypassed one of the platform's warming stations and walked farther down, taking a seat on a bench. She waited patiently for a few minutes until the next train came, quickly jumping into the last car and sighing with relief when she saw it was empty. Grabbing a forward-facing seat near the back that she deemed clean enough, she sat down and took out her phone. Despite Robin often telling her she had a tough aura that would intimidate anyone who dared to approach her, she opted to forgo her earbuds this late at night – she had had one too many close calls with late-night train passengers looking to snatch a wallet from a distracted, vulnerable woman - or worse. Instead, she scrolled through her email, groaning when saw four new messages from Jefferson, her project manager. She had only left the office twenty minutes ago, and yet already she was falling behind.

Deciding that she would wait until the next morning to deal with whatever issue had come up at work, she tossed her phone in her bag and leaned back against the seat, listening to the clanking of the train on the electric tracks below and trying to stay awake as the train car hypnotically swayed back and forth. She was disturbed from her trance when she heard a sound behind her – not a usual mechanical noise, but something that sounded like the combination of a cough and a moan. She looked over her shoulder, but there wasn't anyone there. She must have imagined it, she rationalized. She was exhausted, and thus she must have drifted off despite her efforts to stay alert. She convinced herself that was it until she heard the noise again. This time it was louder, and she knew she didn't dream it.

She stood up and cautiously walked toward the back of the car, past the last row of seats to the small partition separating the seating area from the small vestibule at the end of the car. "Holy shit!" Regina dropped to her knees at the sight of a petite woman crumpled in the corner. The woman's blonde hair was stained with blood, and her face was badly beaten and starting to bruise. Regina was about to check for a pulse when she heard the woman whimper. She quickly got up and pulled the emergency knob near the door to call the train conductor. "Yes, I'm in the last train car and there's an unconscious woman back here who has been assaulted. She's in bad shape. She's bleeding and needs an ambulance right away." Upon hearing the conductor confirm that he would call for help and stop at the next station, she went back to the woman and kneeled next to her. "Hey, can you hear me? My name is Regina. What's your name?" Regina was grateful that she decided to wear her gloves despite the unseasonably warm weather as she lightly tapped the woman's cheek, which still had a small amount of blood leaking out from what looked to be a deep knife cut.

The woman groaned again, but didn't open her eyes or respond to Regina's question. Instead, the woman involuntarily rolled her head to the other side, giving Regina a glimpse at the back of the woman's head for the first time. Her low ponytail was thoroughly saturated with blood and more was accumulating in the hood of her jacket. "Fuck," Regina said as she looked closer. She immediately removed her own scarf and pressed it to the crown of the blonde's head, hoping to stop any residual bleeding. "What the hell happened to you?"

The train lurched to a stop, and Regina had to use her free hand to brace herself against the partition so she wouldn't crash into it. As soon as the doors opened, two paramedics and a police officer rushed in. "Over here!" Regina called, directing them to the back of the car.

"You found her?" The officer asked as the paramedics started assessing the woman.

"Yes," Regina said, realizing that she was shaking as one of the paramedics took the scarf from her to continue holding it against the woman's skull.

"What happened?"

"How the hell should I know?" Regina looked at the man as if he were an idiot before collecting herself. She took a breath. "I heard a noise behind me…a groan…and when I tried to locate the source I found her like that."

If the officer was offended by her attitude, he didn't show it. "How long ago was that?"

"Umm, I don't know. About 30 seconds before I called the conductor using the emergency button. I got on at the Merchandise Mart stop and I was only on here a few minutes before I saw her, if that helps."

"It does, thank you Miss…"

"Mills. Regina Mills."

"Thank you, Miss Mills. And you didn't see anyone with her or anything suspicious?"

Regina shook her head. "No. I was the only one in this car when I got on. And no one got off this car at the stop when I boarded." As Regina finished giving the officer her statement and contact information, she watched the paramedics place the woman on a gurney. As they continued to complete their initial treatment of the woman before transporting her, Regina saw just how injured she was. The paramedics had unzipped the woman's fleece jacket and her white tank top was completely covered in crimson. Regina let out a small gasp as she assessed the damage, silently praying that the woman would survive, but realizing that it was entirely possible, and perhaps likely, that she wouldn't.

As the paramedics finished their final preparations and started to wheel the gurney off the train, Regina spoke up. "Is it okay if I go with you?"

The paramedics exchanged a look with the police officer and shrugged. "Sure, but be quick about it" the taller one said as he guided the gurney toward the train doors.

Regina looked back at the officer. "Can I…?" she asked, gesturing toward the paramedics who had already left the train and were wheeling the gurney down the platform.

"Yes. Please call me if you think of anything else that might be helpful to us as we investigate. Anything at all, no matter how minor you might think it is." She nodded as the man handed her his business card. She wasted no time in hurrying down the platform to catch up to the paramedics, following them to their ambulance.

"I'm August," the paramedic told her as she jumped in the back of the rig while he hooked up an IV for the patient.

"Regina," she said, observing the methodic execution of his routine.

"Is she a friend of yours?"

"No," Regina shook her head, realizing that the paramedics hadn't heard her conversation with the officer. "I just found her when I got on the train."

"Oh. Well, it's a good thing you sought help when you did. She's taken quite the beating and has lost a lot of blood, from the looks of it."

"Yeah…do you think she'll be okay?" Regina stumbled forward slightly as the ambulance sped out into traffic.

August shrugged. "I hope so, but honestly I have no idea. She's alive right now, so we can only hope she stays that way. We'll know more when we get to the hospital and the doctors learn the full extent of her injuries."

Regina nodded and bit her lip as she looked over the woman in front of her. She seemed even smaller lying on the gurney than she did huddled in the back corner of the train.

"Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"If you've never met this woman, why did you ask to come with us?"

Regina leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, which were still trembling. "I…I don't know. I guess I didn't want her to be alone, and I wanted to make sure she would be okay. It's not like I could just go home and pretend none of this happened. I may as well see how she is."

August nodded in understanding. "Well, she's lucky to have you."

Regina said nothing, continuing to watch the woman's shallow breathing beneath the straps of the gurney. "What happens next?" She asked, not looking up.

"Well, that's up to the police. I'm sure there will be an investigation. She doesn't have a purse or phone with her, so I'm guessing she was probably mugged. Hopefully, if and when she wakes up, she'll be able to tell the cops who she is and what happened. Until then, she's a Jane Doe."

Regina's adrenaline had started to wane, and her exhaustion allowed her mask to break as the gravity of the situation finally hit her. She fought to hold back her tears as she thought about what this woman, this Jane Doe, had been through. Regina had witnessed the aftermath of countless muggings during her time in the city and had never seen anything like this. Despite August's assumption, Regina knew this wasn't a random mugging gone awry. She knew foul play when she saw it. This appeared to be a deliberate, heinously violent attack, and one that Regina ventured to guess the woman wasn't supposed to survive. On some level, Regina wondered if it would be best if the woman never woke up. Maybe it would be less painful that way.

"Are you okay?" August asked Regina. The Jane Doe was as stable as she could be considering her injuries, so there wasn't anything for August to do for her at that time other than monitor her vitals. Instead, he focused his attention on the brunette sitting across from him, her dark eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I'm fine…just thinking," she said, quickly wiping the undersides of her eyes with her forefingers. "I wonder if she has any family who is missing her."

August sighed. "She probably does. But without any identification, we don't know who to contact."

Regina looked up at him. "So, that's it?"

"There's not much else they can do, usually. Normally someone eventually comes looking for a John or Jane Doe and they're able to identify them. But in this situation, I'm sure the police will do everything they can to figure out who she is even if no one comes for her."

The ride to the hospital wasn't long, but to Regina it felt like an eternity as she kept her eyes trained on the woman stretched out in front of her. They pulled up to the ambulance bay outside the emergency room of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and after the gurney had been removed, August took Regina's hand to help her out of the back of the rig. "Thank you," she said, absentmindedly straightening her black wool coat as she reached the ground.

"I'll escort you in and ask that they keep you updated, but they probably won't know anything for a few hours."

"That's okay. I don't mind waiting. Thank you, August."

"Is there anyone we should call for you?"

"No, I'm fine. I have my phone, anyway."

He led her through the automatic doors as they rushed the injured woman back through the emergency department to a vacant room. He introduced Regina to Belle, one of the night nurses who was at the reception desk and informed her that Regina would be her emergency contact until they learned more about the woman. Belle directed Regina to the waiting area and promised to keep her updated on Jane Doe's progress.

* * *

The emergency department waiting room smelled like antiseptic and stale coffee. Regina looked at her phone's clock for the sixth time since she had sat down a half hour ago, not-so-patiently waiting for news about the woman. It was a little after one in the morning and a rerun of _Happy Days_ was playing softly on the television in the corner. As she wasn't a fan of the Cunninghams, Regina had decided to distract herself by creating narratives about the other people in the waiting area as she idly spun her engagement ring around her finger with her thumb. She located a small family sitting together in the corner of the room. The father sat with his arm wrapped around the mother, and a small boy was asleep in her lap. A slightly older boy and girl sat together in the chairs, attempting to read magazines but clearly distracted. All three children were in their pajamas, and Regina thought they resembled the Darlings from Peter Pan. She silently wondered what made them come to the emergency room in the middle of the night – who the loved one was who brought them here. Her eyes drifted from the Darlings to an older gentleman reading a newspaper and a young boy resting against his shoulder. Since she was in the Disney character mindset, she decided this odd pair could be Geppetto and Pinocchio. She let a small smile cross her lips as she thought back to watching that movie the previous weekend with Roland, Robin's six-year old son her future step-son, during their Disney movie marathon.

"Regina?" She lifted her head and looked toward the voice. She saw Belle walking toward her, her navy blue scrubs stained darker with what Regina assumed to be blood. Immediately, she assumed the worst and started to stand. Belle must have noticed the change in her expression, so she sped up to meet Regina as she stood up. "She's stabilized and they're taking her to surgery. Her scans revealed that she has eight broken ribs and a collapsed lung. She also has quite a bit of internal bleeding in her abdomen, along with a small subdural hematoma – a brain bleed – all of which they're hoping to correct with surgery," Belle explained, her Australian accent's lilt making a complex medical situation sound much less intimidating than it was.

"Will she be okay?"

"I hope so, but we'll know more in a few hours," Belle did her best to give Regina a reassuring smile. "Oh, we did find an ID, so she isn't a Jane Doe anymore. She's a smart girl. She had it tucked inside her sports bra. We found it when we started prepping her for surgery."

"What's her name?"

Belle hesitated, but decided there was no harm in revealing that information, as Regina was her emergency contact and they were no closer to finding out who the blonde woman belonged to. "Emma."

Regina smiled. "Emma… That suits her," she said to herself. "So if you found her ID, you know where she lives and can find her family, right?"

Belle shook her head. "It was an out-of-state college ID, not a driver's license, so unfortunately we don't know much of anything yet. But, the police are working on it and will contact the school to try to get as much information as they can, and hopefully they can locate her family soon."

Regina nodded. "Good…that's good."

"Look, Regina, she's going to be in surgery for awhile, and the police won't be able to find out anything from the college until normal business hours later today at the earliest. Why don't you try to get some rest. I promise to come out and tell you as soon as Emma's out of surgery, or if anything changes."

"Thanks, Belle," Regina smiled and sat back down, trying to get comfortable. She knew it would be a long night.

* * *

Regina jerked awake when her elbow slipped off the arm of the chair. She yawned as she looked around, noticing that both the Darling family and the Pinocchio duo were no longer there. She glanced at the clock on the wall – it was 5:22am. She tried to settle back in the chair, but despite her exhaustion she didn't think she would be able to fall back asleep. Regina picked up her phone and quickly texted Jefferson to let him know she wouldn't be coming into work today. After deciding that she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, she stood and walked over to the reception desk. "Excuse me," she asked the petite woman behind the counter. "Where's the nearest place to get some coffee?"

"There's a Starbucks inside the hotel about a block East of here, and there's also one just on the other side of the hospital. Take your pick."

"Great, thank you," she pivoted to walk away before abruptly stopping and turning around to face the receptionist again. "If nurse Belle comes back with any news about Emma, can you let her know that I'll be right back?"

"Of course."

Regina picked up her coat from the back of the chair and threw it on before making her way outside. Despite the previous day's warm weather, Chicago's winter temperatures had returned in full force overnight. The crisp air hit her hard as she hurried down the street, the wind whipping around the tall buildings with vigor. She wished she had her scarf to protect her from some of the bitter wind, but then the memories of the bleeding woman – Emma – came back to her and her lack of a scarf seemed insignificant.

With her coffee in hand, Regina rushed back toward the hospital to see if Emma was out of surgery. She wasn't sure why, but she somehow felt responsible for the woman and a need to know what happened. Regina assumed this was due to her innate curiosity and desire to help solve other people's problems. Although she left her upstate New York home just after her eighteen birthday to escape her controlling mother, and therefore forfeited her plan to attend college on her mother's dime, she had managed to build a successful career for herself during the past fifteen years. She spent a few years outside of Seattle, mainly to throw her mother off her scent while she took a few community college courses. During that time, she crashed in a spare bedroom in an apartment belonging to her high school boyfriend's older brother. He was an engineering student at the University of Washington, and he had taught her some basic coding and programming language one afternoon while working on a class project. Fortunately for Regina, she was a quick learner and had an aptitude toward the subject. Her natural inclination toward technology had allowed her to join Jefferson's tech startup immediately upon her arrival in Chicago when she was 20, and she had continued to work for Hatter Inc. as it grew from a tiny startup to a million-dollar firm.

Walking back through the automatic doors of the emergency room, Regina headed toward the seat she had claimed in the early morning hours. Before she could sit down, Belle came rushing toward her. "Regina, I'm glad you're back. Emma's out of surgery and has been moved to a room. I can take you to see her if you want."

"Yes, please."

"Then, follow me."

Belle led her through double doors to a hallway connecting the emergency department to the rest of the hospital. After several turns through the labyrinth of hallways, they eventually made it to the elevator bank in the lobby of one of the pavilions, stopping briefly at the visitor's desk to get Regina a visitor's pass. Regina followed Belle as she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor, where they arrived moments later. Belle stopped by the nurses' station on the floor and Regina showed the charge nurse her the pass before following Belle to Emma's room.

Regina tentatively paused outside the closed door. "Is she awake?"

Belle shook her head. "No, not yet. She likely will be out for at least another hour or two, or potentially longer. The anesthesia from the surgery is still wearing off, and she's had a tough ordeal. We won't know anything until the anesthesia is completely out of her system. Given the head trauma, she could be unconscious even after the anesthesia is gone."

"Like a coma?"

"Yes. But, we're hopeful. Her post-operative neurological examinations have all been promising, and the surgeon said he was able to treat the hematoma and get her intracranial pressure back to normal. That's a good thing," Belle explained, placing a comforting hand on Regina's forearm. "Now, are you ready to go in?"

Regina nodded, so Belle opened the door, allowing Regina to walk through. "I have to head back down to the ER and then my shift ends at 8am, but Ashley at the nurses' station down the hall can help you if you need anything or have any questions. She'll be on duty until late this afternoon. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like, and you can come and go as you please as long as you have that badge," she said, gesturing toward the visitor's pass on Regina's jacket.

"Thank you, Belle. I appreciate your help," Regina said. The petite Australian woman smiled before slipping out of the room.

Regina walked over to Emma's bed and studied the woman before her. "Oh, Emma. What the hell happened to you?" she whispered. The sound of the heartrate monitor chirped in the background as Regina looked around at the various devices attached to the woman. Regina watched the faint swell of Emma's chest every time she took a breath, relieved that she was at least breathing on her own. Someone had cleaned up the bloodstains and cuts on her face, but her bruises had settled in, leaving more than half her fair complexion covered in various shades of dark blue. Regina sat down in the chair next to the bed and waited.

* * *

Regina realized she had dozed off when she was startled awake by some voices in the room. "Sorry, we didn't mean to disturb you," one of them said as she sat up straighter in her chair.

"No, it's fine," she replied, blinking a few times as her eyes adjusted to the fluorescent overhead lighting.

"I'm Doctor Whale, and these are two of the residents on her case," the man in the white coat said as he extended his hand toward Regina.

"Regina," she said, accepting Dr. Whale's proffered hand before shaking hands with his two colleagues.

"Oh, yes, you're the one who found her."

Regina nodded. "Yeah. How is she doing? Will she be okay?"

"We are hopeful. I just finished another neuro exam and all of her reflexes and responses are as expected."

"So does that mean she'll wake up soon?"

"I hope so. She's exhibiting reactions to pain that a patient in a coma would not, so I would expect her to wake up as soon as the anesthesia has completely passed through her system. We're weaning her off her sedatives to help encourage her to regain consciousness, but she's still on high doses of pain meds, so that may delay her waking by a bit. We just need to give her some time."

Regina thanked the doctors for the update as they turned to leave the room. She stood up to stretch her legs and to throw away her empty coffee cup, recognizing how hungry she was when her stomach growled. She looked at the wall clock and realized she hadn't eaten anything in the past fourteen hours. Glancing back at the still unconscious woman on the bed, Regina picked up her purse and decided to run down to the cafeteria in search of breakfast.

Fifteen minutes later Regina exited the elevator on the sixth floor, another coffee in one hand and the last bite of an overly chewy bagel in the other. She discarded her napkin in the trashcan by the nurses' station before turning down the hallway toward Emma's room.

"Oh, Regina! I'm glad you're back," Ashley said as she hurried her steps to meet Regina in the middle of the hall. "Emma's awake. She's asking for you."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this first installment, and I'd love any feedback!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** And now, the actual second chapter. Again, I apologize for the false notification that anyone who follows this fic (or follows me) would have received to address the fandom ship war issue and thank you for bearing with me...hopefully that won't happen again. I personally think shipwars are a waste of energy, because all ships are equally valid. At the end of the day we're all fans of the same show and appreciate the talents of the same actors, so let's respect one another and the work of all fic writers, regardless of ships, who create things for others to read on this site. If you don't like a particular character, then don't click on a fic that has that other character tagged. It's quite simple...that's why tags and story descriptions exist.

Anyway, on to chapter 2!

* * *

Regina followed Ashley as she rushed back toward Emma's room, feeling a swell of gratitude that the blonde woman was awake; it had to be a good sign and an indication that she would be okay. Regina immediately slowed her pace as she entered the room, not wanting to startle the other woman. Approaching the bed cautiously, she watched as the blonde blinked her eyes, trying to find her focus as her eyes bounced around the room and she took in her new surroundings.

"Regina?" Emma said, groggily repeating the name several times. She rolled her head slightly from side to side as the sedation wore off, wincing at the pain. "Regina?"

The brunette smiled as she looked at Emma's eyes for the first time, noting their blue-green hue. "I'm here," she said, instinctively reaching for Emma's hand with her own, resting it on the hospital bed.

Emma started to find her bearings, her eyes coming to rest on the brunette. She studied her, trying to recognize the brunette standing next to her bed and holding her hand. "Are…are you Regina?"

"Yes," Regina answered, watching as the woman on the bed started to become more agitated.

"Who are you? Do I know you?"

"No, you don't know me. I found you."

"Found me where?"

Regina started to respond, but then stopped herself. She was afraid of the reaction that information might cause, and she didn't want to alarm the woman. Before she had time to come up with an excuse for her lack of an answer, Dr. Whale entered the room with another man.

"We are glad to see you're awake. You gave us quite a scare," Dr. Whale said as he approached the woman. "I'm Dr. Victor Whale, and I'm the doctor who has been overseeing your case. This is Dr. Archibald Hopper, a psychiatrist who wants to see how you're feeling."

"A psy…psychiatrist?" Emma stumbled over the words, realizing how dry her mouth was. "Can I have some water? And I'm not crazy."

Dr. Whale nodded and pointed Regina toward the water pitcher and cup on the table next to the hospital bed. Regina quickly poured a cup and handed it to Emma, who eagerly sipped it.

"We know that, Emma. It's standard protocol for the hospital to send a psychiatrist to talk with patients who have been through a physical trauma like you have," Dr. Hopper explained.

"Emma? Who's Emma?" Emma asked with a confused look spreading across her features.

Regina looked up with concern at the two physicians. They quickly looked at each other before looking back at Regina, doing their best to send her a reassuring smile. "It's not uncommon for this to happen," Dr. Whale said in a low voice to Regina before turning to look directly at the blonde. "Your name is Emma," he explained. "Emma Swan."

Regina looked surprised, as she hadn't been told Emma's last name. She thought it suited her. Despite her injuries, she thought Emma seemed like she would be graceful.

Emma scrunched her nose and sent him a questioning glance. "Really?"

Dr. Whale nodded. "That's what your identification card said. We found it on you when you came in. It said you're a student at University of Minnesota."

Emma stared blankly at him, still processing the information.

"Now, I need to do a quick examination, is that okay?" Dr. Whale asked her. She looked briefly at Regina, who gave her a small smile. Emma looked back at Dr. Whale and nodded. He took out his penlight and looked at her pupils before asking her to follow his finger with her eyes. "I'm going to need her hand for this," he said softly to Regina.

"Oh, right. Sorry," she said, letting go of the hand she was still holding.

Dr. Whale extended two fingers toward Emma's hands and asked her to squeeze, before completing a few more reflex tests and checking her bandages. "Well, everything looks as good as can be expected from a medical standpoint. This is all very good, Emma." He watched as she still didn't seem to recognize her name. "Emma, do you know what month and year it is?"

She thought for a moment before answering. "2017. Is it still March? How long was I out of it?"

Regina let out a breath as both Dr. Whale and Dr. Hopper smiled. "Yes, and that's great, Emma. And less than a day. You were brought in late last night. Do you know who the president is?"

Emma sighed. "I'd rather not think about that. I like to pretend it's still Obama."

All three of the others in the room chuckled under their breath. "I'll go ahead and accept that as a correct answer. Now, this is very important," Dr. Whale said, waiting until she looked him in the eye before continuing. "I'm going to give you a few details that I would like you to remember. Can you do that for me?" When she nodded, he continued. "Okay. Today is Thursday. We're in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago. I drive a red car. Can you remember that for me?"

"Yes, I think so."

Dr. Whale nodded his head and looked over at Dr. Hopper, who moved closer to the head of Emma's hospital bed. "Hi, Emma. I'm Dr. Hopper, but you can call me Archie. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. And my whole body hurts," she answered honestly.

Archie nodded in understanding. "I know. But, hopefully you'll be feeling better soon. And we can always ask them to check your pain medication and give you a little more if possible. How are you feeling emotionally?'

"A little freaked out that I don't know my own name."

"That's perfectly normal. Now, Emma, what is the last thing you remember?"

Emma closed her eyes and took a breath. "I don't know. Everything is fuzzy. I can't remember anything specific. I feel like I know facts, but nothing makes sense," a tear rolled down her cheek and Regina felt her heart breaking for the woman.

"What kind of facts do you think you remember?"

"Well, I remember that I watched _Grey's Anatomy_ recently, and I remember what happened in the episode, but I don't know where I was or who I was with when I watched it. I just have the episode visuals in my head."

"Thank you, Emma, that's helpful," Archie said.

"What does that mean?" Regina asked.

"As strange as it is, it's actually a good thing. It means that she is able to recall previous memories, just something is blocking certain autobiographical memories," he said to Regina, and then turned his attention toward Emma. "This is a form of retrograde amnesia, and it isn't unexpected in a case like yours. We will work through it, and hopefully, with time, everything will come back."

Emma nodded and looked at Regina before repeating her earlier question that had yet to be answered. "Where did you find me?"

Regina looked up at Archie and Dr. Whale. "Is it okay to tell her?" Regina lowered her voice. "I don't want to scare her."

Archie shook his head. "She needs to know. Go ahead."

Regina took Emma's hand again and explained that she found her in the back of a train car around 11pm the night before. She skipped over the gorier descriptions, instead opting to just tell her that she appeared to have been assaulted. "You didn't have a purse or anything with you, but they found your student ID tucked inside your sports bra. That's how we learned your name."

"Well, that explains why I'm in so much pain. What happened to me?"

"Well, we aren't sure," Dr. Whale said. "Hopefully, with time, you'll remember and be able to tell us…and the police."

"Was I…." Emma paused, tightening her hold on Regina's hand and mentally bracing herself. "Was I raped?"

Dr. Whale shook his head. "Fortunately, as far as we can tell, no."

Both Emma and Regina sighed in relief.

"We did a rape kit just in case, as that's standard procedure when someone comes in after an assault. There were no signs of a sexual assault. You were in pretty bad shape otherwise, though." He then explained to Emma about the surgeries she had to stop the internal bleeding, her brain hemorrhage, and that her lung had collapsed due to one of her broken ribs. "You're going to be sore for quite some time until those heal. Each day you should feel a little bit better."

Emma nodded, still digesting all this information. "Who would do this to me?" She asked, finally allowing more tears to escape.

"We don't know, but the police are going to everything they can to figure it out," Dr. Whale said. "There is one more thing that you should know. We did a toxicology screening, and it was negative for alcohol and recreational drugs. But, there were significant levels of a heart medication that's known to cause memory loss in some patients. Based on all our examinations and tests, we couldn't find an underlying medical reason for you to be taking that drug, especially not at that high of a dose. We are assuming it was administered by whoever did this."

Regina felt Emma's hand clench her own more tightly. She looked at the blonde and saw panic move across her eyes. Regina brought her other hand down to cover the top of Emma's hand, hoping it would help her feel more secure. "Why would someone do this? I don't understand," she started crying and rolled over to her side, facing Regina and turning her back on the doctors. Regina wanted to help and comfort the woman, but she didn't want to make it worse. She was essentially a stranger, so she didn't know how to handle this situation. She looked desperately at the two doctors for help, gently squeezing Emma's hand between hers and rubbing her thumb across the blonde's knuckles.

Dr. Whale grabbed a small syringe out of the medicine cabinet and quickly injected it into the IV attached to Emma's forearm. Regina raised an eyebrow in question. "Diazepam…valium," he clarified. Regina nodded her head in understanding. "Okay, Emma, you should start to feel a little more relaxed soon, and maybe even sleepy. I'm going to leave you to talk with Archie some more, but I'll be back to check on you later this afternoon."

She rolled onto her back again and looked over at him, nodding.

"Before I go, though, can you recall those three things I asked you to remember earlier?"

Emma closed her eyes as she thought back to the earlier conversation. "Umm…it's Thursday, we're in Streeterville, and your car is red."

Dr. Whale smiled. "Excellent. That's great, Emma. This means that your ability to form new memories doesn't seem to be impacted by your injuries. Take care and I will see you in a little while." He quietly exited the room as Archie pulled a chair up next to Emma's bed and took a seat.

Regina stood up and started to walk toward the door to give Emma some privacy to talk with Dr. Hopper. "Wait, where are you going?" Emma asked her. "Please stay."

She looked at the woman on the bed and saw the pleading look she gave her. Regina realized that there was something more behind her eyes, something she recognized as fear, so she agreed to stay. She walked back to the chair on the other side of the bed and sat down, hearing Emma breathe a sigh of relief as Regina approached her. Regina vaguely remembered hearing about the concept of imprinting from a coworker who was a psychology major back during his college days, and she wondered if Emma's reaction to her was some form of that phenomenon…for some reason, Emma seemed to feel safer when Regina was close by. Regina mentally shrugged and decided she would stay if it made Emma more comfortable.

"Emma," Archie began. "How do you know Regina's name?"

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"You don't remember your own name, yet Nurse Ashley said when you woke up you immediately started asking for Regina. Regina said you had never met each other prior to the events of last night when you were unconscious."

Regina leaned forward, waiting to hear Emma's response. She had been curious as to why the blonde woke up and asked for her as well, but didn't think it would have been appropriate for her to voice the question.

"Oh. I'm not sure. I feel like maybe I heard the name before, sometime recently. It seemed like an important name to me, but I don't know why," Emma replied. Archie didn't seem convinced as he wrote down a few notes on his clipboard.

"And Regina, you are 100 percent sure that you have never met Emma prior to last night on the train?"

"I'm positive," she stated with certainty. "She was saying my name, but she didn't know my face when I came in. She asked me if I was Regina…Oh! Actually, I might be able to help explain it. When I found her, she was whimpering and groaning. I tried to ask her a few questions when I thought she might be conscious, and I asked her for her name. I'm pretty sure I told her mine. She didn't respond, but maybe she was awake enough to have heard me? I also introduced myself to Dr. Whale and the residents when they came in this morning. Emma was still asleep, but maybe she was aware of those conversations?"

Archie nodded. "That is entirely possible. Some coma patients report that they heard conversations while they were unconscious. Thank you, Regina. That's very helpful." He wrote a few more notes and then turned back to Emma. "So Emma, you mentioned earlier that you could recall certain facts, like watching _Grey's Anatomy._ Are there any other details or things that stick out to you?" Archie and Regina both looked down at the woman on the bed as she tried to remember.

"Umm, not really. Everything that's in my head feels like a movie, but nothing feels like it's personal. It just feels like I'm observing."

"Okay," he said, reaching into his lab coat and pulling out a small journal. "This is for you," he said, handing it to her.

She inspected the item in her hands. "What's this for?"

"I want you to keep it with you at all times. Then, if anything pops into your head, whether you think it's a memory or not, I want you to write it down. Even something like the plot of a TV show you watched is valuable, because that is a memory. The list doesn't need to be cohesive – a long list of all the random things you think of is perfectly fine. With time, hopefully we can review the list and start to piece things together."

"Okay. I can do that." Emma nodded and looked down at the small notebook before setting it on the bed next to her. "So, if you guys found my ID, do you know where I live? I don't even know where 'home' is for me." A few more tears ran down her face, and she quickly wiped them away.

"Not yet. You didn't have a driver's license with you, so the only thing on your ID was your name, photo, and student ID number. But, the police are contacting the university and explaining the situation. Hopefully they will cooperate and be able to give them all the information they have about you. We can figure out who your family is, where you live, what you're studying, your birthday. That may help jog some of your memories as well."

"Oh God, I don't even know how old I am…This is so fucked up." Emma leaned back against the pillow and looked up at the ceiling, blinking her eyes a few times before sitting back up. "Has…" Emma choked back another sob and Regina lightly rubbed her forearm in an effort to soothe the distraught woman. "Has anyone come looking for me?"

Regina looked up at Archie as her own eyes started to water. She knew the answer, but she couldn't look at Emma when she received that news. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold back her own tears, and she didn't want Emma to see her fall apart.

"No," Archie stated calmly. "But, your ID says you're a student in Minnesota, so I would guess that most of your friends and family are probably up there and wouldn't know where to look down here. And, it's only been a little over 12 hours since you came in, so it may not even seem out of the ordinary for you to be out of contact with friends and family for this period of time. I would imagine that people may start getting concerned and looking for you in a little while."

"Yeah…if I even have 'people' to look for me," Emma said under her breath.

"Hey," Regina said sharply, causing Emma to look over at her. "I'm sure you have people who care about you. Plus, you're in Chicago, so you were probably here visiting friends or family, or attending some sort of conference or event. Someone out there will be looking for you."

Emma gave Regina a small, unconvincing smile. "You're probably right." She yawned and rested her head back against the pillow once again.

"I think someone is starting to feel the effects of the valium," Archie said to Regina, nodding toward the woman on the bed who was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Okay, Emma, you've done a great job this morning. Get some rest, and I'll be back later this afternoon. The police have been notified that you're awake, so they will be coming in a little later to get a statement from you and see how you're doing. I'll be here with you when that happens."

She opened here eyes again and looked at the psychiatrist. "But, I can't remember anything. How will I be able to help them?"

"Even if you can't remember anything, they'll still want to know how you're doing. And they might have more information for you about the investigation."

"Alright." Emma nodded and closed her eyes again.

Archie picked up his clipboard and started walking to the door. Regina looked down at Emma and told her she would be right back. She quickly caught up with Archie in the hallway.

"Dr. Hopper…"

"Please, call me Archie."

"Archie," Regina corrected herself. "I didn't want to ask this in front of Emma, but how long do you think it will take for her to get her memory back?"

Archie sighed. "There's really no way to know. With head trauma cases like this, not to mention the potential drug interference, it could be days, weeks, or months. In very rare cases, sometimes patients never get their full memory back."

Regina bit her lip and crossed her arms over her chest, looking back to the room at the woman on the bed. "Wow…"

"Look, Regina, this is not going to be an easy process for her. I'm glad that you were there for Emma last night and this morning, and I don't want to pressure you, but you need to decide if you're really willing to continue being her emergency contact and if you're willing to commit to being her support person through this process."

Regina looked back to the man, slightly offended. "Why wouldn't I? Who else would do it?"

Archie continued. "In Jane Doe and amnesia cases like these, the hospital can be her emergency contact and make decisions for her if she can't make them for herself. This is going to be a very long and hard road for Emma and for you, if you stay. She has clearly bonded with you. I don't know if you noticed, but Emma kept looking to you before she answered any questions."

"I did notice that," Regina said softly.

"Because your name was in her mind when she woke up, and you're one of the first people she saw, she connected with you. If you stick around for a day or two and then decide in a few days or a few weeks from now that you need to get back to your life and that this is too much to deal with and bail, that will be much more difficult for her than if you part ways now."

"I'm not going to get up and abandon her if she doesn't have anyone else," Regina said. "I can't explain it, but I feel like I have to be here for her."

"And why do you think that is?"

Regina looked at him and rolled her eyes. "I already have a therapist, Archie, I don't need to be psychoanalyzed."

Archie laughed. "Sorry, it can be hard for me to turn off that part of me. And I'm not trying to psychoanalyze you. I'm just curious as to why you also seem to have formed such a strong connection with someone who you have never met." Regina raised a brow, suspicious of his question, so he clarified. "Emma is in a very fragile state. I just want to make sure that I don't need to be concerned about anyone who is going to be around her during this time."

Regina scoffed. "Do you think I have ulterior motives?"

"No. I just want to understand why you feel so responsible for her. Most people would have gone home after the paramedics came and not jumped in the ambulance to ride with her. And even if they did, most wouldn't have stayed in the emergency room all night and sat by her bedside until she woke up."

Regina nodded. "I…I'm an only child, my father died when I was 16, and I haven't seen my mother since I left home at 18. We had a very dysfunctional and tumultuous relationship and I cut her out of my life as soon as I was legally able to. I know what it's like to be alone in the world. If that had been me on the train five years ago, before I met my fiancé, I would have been completely alone – that could have been me in there. I don't want her to go through that, so I guess I decided that I would be there for her until someone else can. I figured a stranger is better than no one."

Archie smiled, seeming to approve of Regina's response.

"I don't want to get into it, but I've seen things like this in my past so I want to do what I can for the girl," she continued and looked him in the eye. "I saw her injuries last night on the train. I can't help but assume that Emma was not meant to survive the attack. Those weren't injuries from a mugging gone wrong. That was supposed to permanently incapacitate her."

He nodded. "That is ultimately up to the cops to determine, but I don't disagree with you. Based on the drugs in her system, it seems like someone went to great lengths to make sure she wouldn't remember anything if she did survive."

"Should we tell Emma that?"

"No, not yet," Archie said. "We should wait until the cops come to that conclusion. There is no use in unnecessarily frightening Emma about her physical safety. If the police decide that this was intentional and that she was the intended target, then we will certainly fill her in and take precautions."

Regina nodded. "Okay. That makes sense."

"Regina, I'm going to ask you one more time. In light of that bit of information, are you sure you want to take on this burden?"

"She's not a burden," Regina said emphatically. "And yes, I can handle it. Like I said, I've seen things like this before…maybe even worse. I can manage."

Archie raised an eyebrow, wanting to know what Regina meant by her statement, but he let it go. "Okay. Well, I will see you later when I come back to check on Emma."

After watching Archie walk down the hall to visit his next patient, Regina turned and walked back into the hospital room. Emma appeared to be asleep, so she quietly closed the door behind her and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Is he gone?" Emma asked, opening her eyes when she heard Regina sit down.

"Yes."

"Good. I couldn't take any more questions right now."

Regina nodded her head in understanding as she watched Emma. Even though she had only been awake for less than an hour, she looked exhausted. "You should rest."

Emma laughed. "I can't. My brain won't shut off, which is ironic considering I can't remember anything, so there really shouldn't be anything in there to keep me awake right now."

Regina smiled. "It's understandable. This is a lot to process. Give the meds a bit longer to kick in. They'll do their job and help you sleep."

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked.

"Why am I doing what?"

"Staying with me. You said we aren't friends ... that we didn't even know each other. I'm just some random girl you found on the train."

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I haven't left since I found you last night. I had to make sure you were okay."

"Well, I am. You're not obligated to stay."

Regina frowned. "Do you want me to go?" She looked over at Emma who just shrugged.

"I just meant that I don't want you to feel guilty if you want to leave. You probably have a job and a family to get to," Emma said as she appraised the other woman's appearance. Regina was still wearing her work clothes from the previous evening: black skinny jeans, a burgundy sleeveless blouse, a black leather-trim blazer, and four-inch stiletto pumps.

"It's fine. I let my boss know hours ago that I wouldn't be coming in today."

"And your family?" Emma asked.

"I don't have one," she quickly said.

Emma looked skeptical. "That giant rock on your finger suggests otherwise."

Regina glanced down at her engagement ring and smiled shyly. "I don't have a family…yet. My fiancé and his son are in Europe for the next three weeks. So, I have nowhere else to be anytime soon."

"Well, in that case, thank you for staying," Emma said before yawning. Despite her exhaustion, she still seemed restless. "I know nothing about myself and I don't know anything about you, aside from your fiancé and future step-son jetting off to Europe and that you happened to stumble across a nearly dead woman on the train. Will you tell me something about yourself? What were you out doing so late on a …" Emma paused to think, trying to remember what day of the week Dr. Whale had said it was. "…on a Wednesday night?"

Regina laughed. "Nothing exciting…Just leaving work."

"What do you do?"

"My friend started a tech startup a number of years ago, and I'm his vice president. We were working on a VIP client project, so we've had some late nights recently to get that project up and running." She stopped explaining when Emma gave her a puzzled look. "What?"

"It's just a strange feeling. I understood everything you said, so I seem to have at least some understanding of what your job must entail. Yet, I don't know what I do for a living or anything else. It's weird to have this giant block in my memory."

Regina reached for Emma's hand and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It'll come back to you. It'll just take some time."

"I know," Emma sighed as she laid her head back on the pillow. "Will you keep talking to me until I fall asleep? Your voice is oddly soothing."

Regina smiled. "Sure. What else do you want to know?"

"Anything. Everything. I've got time. Tell me your life story. Start at the beginning…"

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for the follows and favorites thus far! I hope you're enjoying this. I'm hoping to update once per week/every 10 days or so. I'm juggling two fics right now and may add a third and fourth soon, so we'll see how prolific I can be with churning out chapters. In the next few chapters, the police will come visit Emma and give her more info about who she is, we'll learn Regina's history and what Cora did to her to make her leave, and Emma will get discharged from the hospital, leading Regina and Emma to start digging into Emma's past and looking for clues. And, a few more beloved Storybrooke characters may show up.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma fell asleep within a few minutes of Regina starting her story. She sighed in relief, happy that the blonde would be getting some much-needed rest and thankful that she didn't have to get too far into her life story. There were some details that she would never disclose to anyone. When people asked her about her life growing up, she preferred to entirely gloss over her time spent living under her mother Cora's thumb rather than lie her way around it. Thankfully, she didn't need to do either with Emma. The woman had passed out before Regina could finish describing the small but wealthy town in upstate New York where she was raised. She took advantage of the quiet room to check and respond to emails and updated Jefferson on everything that happened. He quickly replied telling her to take her time and that he was happy to cover for her at work for however long she needed.

Regina hadn't noticed that she had fallen asleep in the chair next to Emma's bed until she heard several pairs of footsteps coming into the room and the door closing. Dr. Whale cleared his throat, waking up both of the sleeping women. "Emma, this is Detective Graham Humbert from the Chicago Police Department. He's here to ask you a few questions and give you some updates. And you remember Dr. Hopper…" Dr. Whale said looking toward the redheaded psychiatrist, testing Emma's memory.

Emma nodded. "Yes, of course. Hello, Archie."

Dr. Hopper smiled. "Hello, Emma. It's good to see you. You look well-rested." He then turned to Regina. "It's good to see you here, Regina," he said with a knowing look.

Regina smiled but said nothing. She knew that Archie had expected her to change her mind about staying with Emma after their conversation in the hallway earlier that day.

"Emma, Detective Humbert is going to ask you some questions and get a statement from you. It's okay if you can't remember anything. Just do your best," Archie said, taking a seat in an extra chair opposite Emma's bed.

"You can call me Graham, Emma," he said in a thick Irish accent. "The doctors mentioned that you are experiencing amnesia, but do you remember anything about the past 24 hours?"

Emma shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't. I wish I did. The only thing I remember is waking up in the hospital this morning. Everything before then is completely blank. I have a few glimpses of things, but it all feels very detached, and I can't remember anything about whatever happened to me. I only know my name is Emma because everyone keeps calling me that."

He nodded. "Okay. I'm going to give you my card," he said, pulling out a few business cards from his pocket and handing one to both Emma and Regina. "If you begin to remember anything, please call me, day or night."

Emma nodded and slipped the card into the notebook Archie had given her earlier in the day. She had yet to write anything in it.

Regina spoke up. "Have you learned anything more about Emma? From her college?"

"Not quite," Graham stated. "We spoke to the University of Minnesota, but privacy laws prevent them from releasing student information without the student's written permission."

"Well, I can give you my permission," Emma stated.

"It's not that simple. You would need to go in in-person to do it. They won't accept anything other than an original signature for this type of release of information, or you would have to release it through their student online portal. But, given your memory loss, I'm guessing you probably don't remember your student ID and password to access any of the university systems. If you did, we could pull information directly from there and bypass the administration entirely."

Emma shook her head. "I don't remember being a student there. I definitely don't know how to log into any of my accounts."

"I didn't think that was a viable option. But, we are working on a subpoena to come through, which will require them to hand over that information to us. We should have that within an hour or two, as they're expediting the process for us. Hopefully we can get that to the university and learn more about you by the end of today."

"Thanks," Emma said. "And you don't have any idea who did this to me or why?"

"Unfortunately, we don't. Not yet," Graham said. "We are reviewing security camera tapes from all brown line train stations last night to see if we can tell when you got on the train and who you might have been with. Unfortunately, there wasn't a camera in the car you were on, so we don't have any video from anything that happened once you were on the train. So right now, we don't know. We are looking into all possibilities, including the chance that this may have been a deliberate attack and that it may have been completely random. Hopefully, the security footage will tell us something."

"And there's no one else you can talk to?" Regina asked.

Graham sighed. "Not that we know of. You were the only one on that train car with her, and one of our officers took your statement last night. It's possible that whoever left Emma in that car disappeared into a different car or left the train all together long before you got on, and I would hope that if anyone else saw her before you did that they would have called the police. It's not really possible for us to track down every person who rode the train that night. We just have to hope that Emma remembers something, or that the cameras will lead us to some clues."

"Okay, thank you," Emma said, dejected.

"Thank you for your time, Emma. I hope you feel better soon. And please, call me any time if you think of anything…no detail is too small." Graham politely excused himself and left the room.

"Emma, I'm going to another quick exam to check to see how everything is healing. Is that okay?" Dr. Whale asked her. She nodded her consent, so he checked her incisions. "Everything looks as it should. How are you feeling? What is your pain level on a scale of 1 to 10?"

"I'm okay...maybe like a 6 or 7? I'm sore, but I feel a little better than I did this morning, at least physically."

Dr. Hopper chimed in. "What do you mean by that, Emma?"

She rolled her eyes. There was no doubt that he was a psychiatrist. "I'm just frustrated at this whole situation. I hate feeling like I don't know anything."

Archie nodded. "That's completely understandable, Emma. Give it time, and it will become easier."

"I know," she said, looking down and hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

"Okay, Emma, although everything looks good that I can see, I'm going to have someone come in and take you down for an MRI and CT so we can double-check your internal injuries we repaired last night. I want to make sure you don't have any residual bleeding in your brain or internally. After that, I'm going to have the physical therapist come in to test your balance and get you up and walking. That will be the next step toward getting you discharged."

Emma nodded. "Okay, thanks. Regina, will you still be here when I get back?"

"I'm going to run home and get a change of clothes, but yes, I'll be back. Dr. Whale, how long will these tests and her PT take?"

"Probably about two hours. You've got plenty of time."

Regina nodded and watched as two people in scrubs came in and helped Emma into a wheelchair, seamlessly moving her IV from her bed to the pole attached to the back of the wheelchair. Emma gave Regina a small wave as she was wheeled out of the room.

"So, Regina," Dr. Whale started after Emma had left the room. "If everything in her scans look good, and if the PT signs off on it, Emma will likely be ready to be released in another two or three days."

"Really? Even without her memory?" Regina asked, surprised.

"Well, that could take weeks, months, or even years to fully recover, if she even gets her memory back at all. We can't know in these cases," he started explaining. "Her amnesia won't prevent us from releasing her, as long as she seems capable of taking care of herself…which she does thus far. Her speech is clear, she doesn't have any physical deficits aside from what is expected from her injuries, and those will heal over time. As long as I'm not concerned that she'll forget how to use a stove and burn her house down or wander out into traffic, there's no reason to keep her here. We'll monitor her for the next few days, but her cognitive function seems perfectly fine, aside from not knowing who she is."

"We don't know where she lives," Regina pointed out. "Where is she supposed to go?"

Archie stood from his chair at the end of the bed and joined the conversation. "Hopefully, the college will have that information for us soon. They'll be able to tell us where she lives. I'm assuming she lives in Minnesota since she goes to school there, but it would be better if she stays local until her physical injuries heal, that way she can come in for check-ups here. And, I'd like to have a few more sessions with her to make sure she's emotionally adjusting to her new situation before she crosses state lines. The college might know if she has family somewhere around here that she can stay with. Or, we have some low-cost extended-stay housing options close by for patients and families. Given the circumstances, we can make arrangements for her in one of those buildings. Otherwise, if she insists, she could go back to her own home. As long as she continues to seek treatment, she can theoretically do that anywhere."

Regina nodded. "Okay. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to run home and change. I'd like to be here when Emma comes back."

"Of course," Archie said as he and Dr. Whale moved aside to let Regina pass by.

* * *

Regina paid the taxi driver as he pulled up to the brown line station. She quickly made her way to the platform and hopped on a train that had just arrived and was heading north. She didn't even notice until she sat down in a vacant seat that she was, yet again, in the last car of the train. She shook her head and tried to ignore the memories associated with the previous night. At least this time the car was full of commuters and tourists who offered a welcome distraction.

She absentmindedly took out her phone and realized she had a missed call and text message from her fiancé: _Just landed at Heathrow and heading to Mum's. I hope work isn't too stressful and that you get home at a decent hour tonight. Miss you._

She smiled before texting him back, feeling slightly guilty that she hadn't thought about him much since this whole ordeal began: _I miss you, too. I'm actually not working today, and probably won't the rest of the week. It's a long story. Let me know when you have some time and I'll fill you in._

 _Are you okay? I'm in the car so I can talk now…_ he replied almost immediately.

 _I'm fine but I'm on the L. I don't want to talk about it here, plus my reception is spotty. I'll be home in 15 minutes. Call me then._

Ten minutes later, Regina entered her empty apartment and immediately stripped off her clothes as she made her way to her bathroom. She jumped in the hot shower, relieved to rinse off the smell of the hospital that had seeped into her pores. She shut off the shower after only a few minutes, knowing that if she let herself stand under the spray any longer she would never want to get out – the water was relaxing and relieving tension she didn't realize she had been carrying. She wrapped herself in her favorite terrycloth bathrobe and started drying her hair with a towel when she heard her phone ring. She quickly picked it up. "Hey, babe," she said, hitting the speakerphone button so she could continue her mission and get back to the hospital.

"Regina, are you okay? What happened?" She heard Robin's concerned voice ask.

"Yes, I'm fine, dear. After we spoke last night and I got on the train to go home, I found a young woman in the back corner of the train. She had been brutally assaulted and essentially left for dead…" Regina explained as she walked around her apartment, packing a small overnight bag with clothes. She continued to walk Robin through everything that had happened in the last 18 hours, though to Regina it felt like it had been three days.

"Holy shit, Regina," she heard him say when she stopped to take a breath.

"I know. It's insane."

"And the police don't have any leads?" Robin asked.

"No, none at all. They hope that once they get Emma's information from the university, they'll at least know more about her and can help her find her family. Right now, they don't know whether she was the intended target or if this is just a random act of violence."

Robin was stunned. "Maybe you should listen to that Archie guy and bow out gracefully from this whole mess…let the hospital be Emma's emergency contact and support network. I don't like the sound of this situation. I don't want anything to happen to you, Regina."

"I know. I'm not concerned, Robin. I've dealt with much worse."

"I know you say that, but you won't talk about it. I love you, Regina. I wish you would open up to me about your childhood."

Regina shook her head, even though there was no way for Robin to see it over the phone. "It's ancient history, Robin, it's not important, and I don't want to have this conversation again. I will be fine. I can take care of myself and I wouldn't put myself in any danger. It's Emma I'm worried about. Right now she doesn't have anyone, and she's terrified. I know what that's like."

Robin dropped his protest and told her to stay safe and to keep him updated. "Please, call or text me every day and let me know how you're doing."

"Of course. I love you. Enjoy your visit with your family. Give Roland a kiss for me," she said before hanging up. She quickly threw on a pair of jeans, a grey tee shirt, and a pair of black Nikes before grabbing her bag and heading back to the train.

* * *

Regina arrived back at the hospital and went straight toward Emma's room. When she walked in, she saw another woman with her, helping her sit down on the bed. "Just a few more, Emma, come on," the older blonde said.

"I'm sorry, I can come back later," Regina said from the doorway, not wanting to interrupt.

"Oh, don't be silly. I'm Mal, I'm a physical therapist here. We're just about finished," she said as she guided Emma from a sitting position back to standing, never taking her eyes off her patient. Regina nodded and set her bag down on an empty chair, watching Emma repeatedly sit on the bed and stand back up until Mal told her she could relax and lay back down. "I'm just evaluating her strength and balance," she explained, answering Regina's unspoken question.

"How'd she do?"

"She's very strong – no issues. We took a few laps around the floor and she's doing remarkably well," she replied before turning her attention back to Emma. "Now Emma, I don't see any reason why you can't get yourself in and out of bed and walk a bit, but out of an abundance of caution I don't want you doing that alone, at least not for the next 24 hours. And please don't overdo it. I'll come back tomorrow afternoon and check on you again. In the meantime, if you need to get up, use your call button and a nurse will come in and help. Or if your friend here is comfortable, she can help you as well."

"Does this mean I can get this fucking catheter taken out of my vagina?"

Mal laughed. "Technically, it's in your urethra, but I think that should be fine. I'll let Dr. Whale know that you're mobile enough to use the bathroom, as long as you have someone to help you walk there. If he agrees, then they should be able to remove that shortly."

"Thank God," Emma sighed.

"Take care. I'll see you tomorrow," Mal said as she left the room.

"Has the doctor been by? How'd it go?" Regina asked, sitting down next to Emma's bed.

Emma shrugged. "Not yet, so I don't know." She looked over at the bag Regina had set down on the chair in the corner of the room. "What's with the duffle?"

"Oh. I brought a few changes of clothing. I wasn't sure when you might get out of here, or at least be allowed to wear something other than that very stylish hospital gown. I brought some comfy clothes for you, just in case."

"Oh, thank you. I appreciate that."

"No problem." The two women were silent for a few moments and it was quickly becoming awkward. She eyed the remote on Emma's bedside table. "Do you want to watch TV or something?"

"Sure, that would be great."

Regina grabbed the remote and turned on the local 4:00 news. They sat in silence catching up on the day's events – Congress arguing over various bills, the most recent Cubs game and predictions for their season after their World Series victory. The next news story pulled both women back to the present, capturing their attention. The reporter was standing outside the Sedgwick brown line station and talking about a gruesome attack on a woman the night before. "Turn that up," Emma demanded.

"Are you sure?" Regina asked cautiously.

"Yes."

Regina relented and did what she was asked. The reporter described how a woman was found without an ID and badly beaten on the train late the previous night and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. "At this time, her identity is still unknown and the hospital is not commenting on her condition. Stay tuned to ABC News for more updates. Back to you in the studio," the reporter said into her microphone.

"They did find my ID, though, so why aren't they putting my name and picture up there? How else will someone claim me? If I have friends here, how will they know where I am?" Emma asked, distraught.

Regina swallowed thickly and silently prayed that Archie would walk into the room and be able to address Emma's questions. When that didn't happen, she took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. "Well, as Graham said, the police don't know whether this was a random thing or not. I'm guessing they don't want to release your personal information just yet…not until they have a better idea of what happened and something concrete to report."

"…You mean in case someone is after me? They don't want them to know that I'm still alive, or who I am." Emma turned pale.

Regina stood up and approached the woman, reaching for one of her hands and doing her best to look reassuring. "It's just a precaution, Emma. I wouldn't worry about that right now. Focus on getting better."

"How do you know so much about this? I thought you worked in technology consulting?"

"I do," Regina quickly answered. "…but I've lived in the city long enough to have seen this kind of thing in the news before. It seems to be standard protocol not to release victim's names or conditions until they know more and the family has been notified. In this case, they can't do that yet." Regina looked Emma in the eyes, searching for any hints of doubt. When there weren't any, Regina let out a breath and sat back down, letting go of Emma's hand and grateful that Emma seemed to accept her explanation.

Dr. Whale quietly knocked on the door and walked in a few minutes later. "I have the results of your latest scans, Emma," he said as he approached her. "There are no signs of residual bleeding in your head or abdomen, which is great news. It seems like the surgical repair worked. I would like to keep you here another 48 hours to ensure that you continue to make progress. As long as you continue to heal as expected, you'll be discharged at that time."

"Did the PT ask you about my catheter? Can I get that out? And am I allowed to eat real food? I'm starving, and no offense but the food here sucks."

Dr. Whale chuckled. "Yes, and yes. I'll send in someone to take care of the catheter for you."

Regina jumped up from her seat. "Well, while that happens, I can go run out and get you something to eat. What are you in the mood for?"

"A cheeseburger…and fries."

Regina looked to Dr. Whale for his approval. He nodded. "It wouldn't be my first choice in terms of health, but she needs to get her strength back so that's fine. She could use the extra calories."

"So, I guess you remember that you like burgers?" Regina smiled.

"Apparently…I think so, anyway," Emma laughed as her stomach growled.

"I'll be right back," Regina said, affectionately placing a hand on Emma's leg that was hidden beneath a blanket on the bed before leaving the room.

She returned a few minutes later after running to the burger joint across the street. She unpacked the bag, placing a burger and fries on the tray on Emma's bed before sitting down with her own fries and grilled chicken sandwich. "I also got you a chocolate shake, because they're divine," Regina said, passing her one of the cups before taking a drink of her own.

"Thanks. I think I like chocolate, but we'll find out." Emma pierced the lid with a straw before taking a sip and moaning, causing Regina to laugh. "Yes. Yes, I do."

The two sat in companionable silence as they ate their dinner and watched another newscast. They were both relieved that they were not mentioning Emma's story this time and instead were discussing other things happening throughout the city. "We have an update to a story we first reported earlier this morning," the news anchor stated. "The coroner has released the names of couple that was found dead in an Old Town brownstone early this morning: Mary-Margaret and David Nolan. They were both 58 years old. Their deaths have been ruled a double homicide, but there is no further information about the investigation available at this time."

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffhanger! Well, sorta. I know this chapter had a lot of medical logistics, but I had to get through that to move on with the rest of the story. In the next chapter, we'll skip forward two days and Emma will be discharged, we'll find out what the university knows about her, and the real work to uncover what happened to her begins. Also, since this is AU, I'm playing with the mythology of the show a bit in terms of ages (obviously, since MM + David were nearly 60) and to some extent the relationships between people. Also, I don't work in law enforcement and I'm not a doctor so some of my details might be slightly off, but hopefully they're relatively close.  
**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope you're finding this at least mildly interesting. The next few chapters will really start to pick up.**


	4. Chapter 4

The next two days were uneventful as Emma continued to make small improvements physically, but didn't seem to be any closer to recovering her lost memories. Regina had stopped by her office to pick up some things she would need to work from home for a while, and she continued to check-in with Robin to reassure him that she was fine. After finishing up at her office, Regina got in her car in preparation to head back to the hospital to meet Emma – Archie, Dr. Whale, and Mal had all signed off on Emma's discharge with the stipulation that she stays somewhere local for at least two weeks for follow-up appointments. If Emma continued to make progress after two weeks and everything seemed on track, she could then return to her home in Minneapolis and continue her recovery there.

Emma had just finished putting on the pair of yoga pants and tee shirt Regina had brought her a few days earlier when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she said, as she slipped on the sneakers she had been wearing the night of her attack. All of her other clothes were torn and ruined with bloodstains, but the running shoes were still in decent shape and salvageable. She watched as Detective Graham Humbert and another officer walked into her hospital room.

"How are you today, Emma?" Graham asked her with a smile that Emma couldn't quite tell if it was genuine.

"I'm okay. They're letting me out, finally."

"That's great news, Emma. I'm happy to hear that. I thought you might want to know what we found out from the University of Minnesota."

Emma took a seat on the edge of her hospital bed. "Yes. Please."

"Okay. You are 30 years old and a fourth-year PhD student in the English literature program there. Your emergency contact person is a guy named Neal Cassidy," he said, handing her a slip of paper with Neal's name and phone number on it. "We haven't contacted him yet, since we figured you may want to do that yourself when you're ready. We still don't know what brought you to Chicago, but maybe Neal can help with that. We also have your apartment address in Minneapolis, so you will know where to go when you get back." He handed her another slip of paper with an address. "The landlord's information is there, too, so he can help you get in since you didn't have any keys with you when Regina found you."

"Thank you. I appreciate this," she said as she looked between the two slips of paper in her hand. It was such a small piece of the puzzle, but it was heavy in her hands…it had the potential to finally help her learn who she was.

"Where will you be staying when you are discharged? How can we reach you in case we find out more information?"

"Oh, I'm going to stay with Regina. She has a spare bedroom and her fiancé is out of town, so she'll be able to keep an eye on me while I recover."

"Okay, good. I'll make a note of that in your file and we'll reach out to her if we need to get ahold of you. Please let us know if and when you get a new cell phone so we can contact you directly."

"Sure, of course." The two men nodded as they stood and exited the room.

After signing her discharge papers and receiving instructions from Dr. Whale, Emma made her way down to the lobby and waited by the main doors of the hospital for Regina to come pick her up. Moments later she watched as a black Mercedes Benz E Class coupe pulled up to the loading zone, and she was surprised when she saw Regina step out. "Whoa, nice car," Emma commented as she walked up.

"Thanks," Regina smiled. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," Emma replied as she threw a small hospital-issued plastic bag on the floor of the passenger seat. She really didn't have any personal effects to take with her, given that she had been thoroughly mugged prior to arriving at the hospital. The bag only contained her student ID, the journal Archie had given her, and the pain medication she had picked up from the pharmacy. "Are you sure you're okay with me staying with you for a few days? You don't even know me."

Regina sighed. They had already had this conversation multiple times throughout the past two days after Regina had suggested Emma stay with her. "Yes. We've been through this. It's no trouble. I have plenty of space and an empty apartment, and the doctors said that you shouldn't be alone, if possible. So, I'm happy to help."

"Do you have some sort of altruistic savior complex or something?" Emma asked, half joking.

Regina laughed. "No. Not at all. It pains me to admit this, but most of my life I've actually been quite the opposite. I was raised in a world where everyone looked out for number one. I suppose I'm long overdue to do something nice for someone else without any expectations."

Emma nodded but didn't say anything in response. Instead she was toying with the folded piece of paper that she had kept tightly in her grip since the police gave it to her. She looked down at it as if she expected it to suddenly all make sense.

"What's that?" Regina asked as she noticed the paper, stopping at a red light at the on-ramp for Lakeshore Drive.

"It's the phone number for some guy named Neal. Apparently he's my emergency contact at school." Emma then proceeded to tell Regina what she learned from the police and her university. "I don't know if I should call him," she finally said after finishing her story.

"What? Why wouldn't you?" Regina asked, surprised by Emma's hesitance.

"I don't know who this guy is. I have no idea what information he has and what surprises that phone call will reveal. I'm sure I'll call him eventually, but I'm not ready yet."

"That makes sense. There's no rush, Emma. But, I think he'll be able to fill in a lot of the question marks for you…at least I hope so."

Twenty minutes later, Regina pulled up to her building and parked in the underground garage. "Come on," she said as she got out of the car and opened the door to the building for Emma. They took the elevator up to the fourth floor and walked inside. Regina gave her a quick tour, showing her the extra bedroom where she would be staying. Emma put her bag down on the bed and looked around the room. It was relatively nondescript – white walls, a dark oak headboard, white linens, wood floors. The walls were unadorned aside from three simple black and white photographs that were grouped together on the wall above the bed – trees, horses running across a field, and an extreme close up of a flower. The images were pretty, but they seemed rather impersonal. Emma wondered if maybe it was because this was a guest room. Ever since she had woken up and met Regina, she found the brunette mysterious. She found herself wanting to know more about the only person who she had really spoken to since waking up from this nightmare.

"Here you go," Regina said, pulling Emma from her reverie. "Until you get back to wherever you were staying in the city to get your own stuff, I figured you might want some extra clothes." Regina handed Emma two reusable grocery tote bags with some clothes she had set aside to donate to Goodwill. She had just finished her annual closet cleanout the previous weekend, but hadn't had a chance to run the clothes to the donation drop off yet. "There are some jeans in there, too. They're too small for me, but might fit you. If nothing from the bag works, I have some other stuff in my closet that you might like."

"Thanks, Regina. I appreciate it." Emma sat down on the bed next to the bags of clothes and stared at the slip of paper containing Neal's phone number again. She hadn't let go of the paper since the police gave it to her in her hospital room.

"You really have no idea who he is, do you? His name doesn't ring any bells?" Regina asked, sitting down next to Emma.

Emma shook her head. "No. I'm guessing maybe a boyfriend? Or a brother, but we have different last names."

"Well you could be married. That would explain the different last name," Regina immediately responded.

Emma looked up, startled by Regina's suggestion. Regina quickly apologized, hoping she didn't cause Emma more anxiety about the situation. "Oh, no, it's fine. I just hadn't thought of that. I suppose it's possible. I don't have a ring on so I just assumed, but I'm sure if I did whoever did this to me would have stolen it anyway."

Regina shifted closer to Emma and grabbed her hand, inspecting it. "No ring tan line."

"It's the end of March. I live in Minneapolis. No one is getting tan lines this time of year, and I don't seem like the kind of person who would frequent a tanning salon," Emma said, referring to her porcelain complexion.

"See? You're better at this sleuthing thing than you thought," Regina smiled while Emma rolled her eyes.

"I don't know why, but I just don't think I'm married. I think I would feel something if I were," Emma said.

Regina nodded. "Write that down in that journal Archie gave you."

Emma looked at her curiously. "Why? It's not a memory."

"Maybe not, but it's a gut feeling, and he said those can be quite accurate."

Emma nodded and reluctantly took the journal out of the bag, quickly scribbling down 'I don't think I'm married' on the first page.

*.*.*

Regina had left Emma in the guest room so the blonde could take a nap. While she hadn't been doing much else besides sleeping the past few days, she needed her rest. Regina couldn't imagine what Emma was going through and how she could possibly be coping with such a confusing and frightening situation. Regina took the opportunity to make a late lunch, hoping that some sustenance might help her feel more at home.

"That smells really good," Emma yawned as she paddled into the kitchen.

"Oh, you're up. I figured you would be asleep for awhile longer. It still needs a few more minutes, but it'll be ready soon. Are you hungry?"

"Mmhmm," she said as she sat down at the dining table, still groggy from her nap and the oxycodone she was taking for her pain.

"Do you want something to drink while you wait? I only have water, orange juice, club soda, and wine…"

"Water's fine," Emma said. "Do you need help with anything?"

"Nope, I've got it," she responded as she walked to the fridge and took out a bottle of Pellegrino for herself. "Do you want mineral or regular water?"

Emma laughed. "I've always been baffled by the thought of fancy water. I don't get it."

Regina raised an eyebrow as she chuckled, handing a bottle of Ice Mountain to Emma. "You've _always_ been baffled? That sounds like a memory. Write it down."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Are you the memory police now? It's just another one of those things where I know I have an opinion or thought about something, but it's not concrete."

Regina sat down in the chair across from Emma and opened her own bottle. "That may be, but it's still something. You'll get there, Emma." She stood back up when she heard the oven beep and walked over to take out the casserole dish of macaroni and cheese, placing it on the island next to the salad she had prepared earlier. She grabbed two plates and called Emma over. "I'm not sure how hungry you are, so I'll let you have at it," she said, handing Emma the serving spoon as she dished up some salad for herself. Emma helped herself to the pasta and salad and started to head back to the dining table, but Regina stopped her. "You're welcome to eat at the table, but honestly, I rarely sit there. Jeopardy is about to start and it's kind of my guilty pleasure, so I'm going to park myself in front of the TV. You're welcome to join."

Emma laughed, surprised that the seemingly refined woman in front of her would be so casual. She followed Regina into the living room and sat down at the end of the couch, taking her cue from Regina and propping her feet up on the coffee table. "Oh my God, this is amazing," Emma said as she took a bite of the macaroni.

"Thanks," Regina said, happy that Emma seemed to be relaxing a bit. "I rarely have time to cook, but when I do it's usually pasta."

As the episode came to the end, Regina looked at Emma incredulously as she correctly answered the "Final Jeopardy" clue – Emma had answered almost every question in the show correctly. "Well, apparently you're incredibly intelligent, or at least very skilled at trivia. I could understand you dominating the English literature category, but you nailed everything," she commented.

"Well, I am a PhD student. I'm glad to see I at least know about my field of study, even I don't remember actually learning it," Emma shrugged. Regina grabbed their empty plates off the coffee table and walked into the kitchen, depositing them in the sink, while Emma returned to the guest bedroom to grab something. As she walked back into the room, Emma spoke cautiously. "I…I think I'm ready to call Neal."

"Really? That's great, Emma," Regina said. She offered Emma her cell phone to make the call before excusing herself to give Emma some privacy.

"No, please stay. I don't know who this guy is and I could use the moral support."

Regina nodded. "Okay, but if at any point you want me to leave and let you two talk in private, just let me know."

"Okay." Emma took the phone from Regina and unfolded the strip of paper she had retrieved from her room. She slowly dialed the number and hit the speakerphone button as Regina sat down on the couch next to her.

"Hello?" they heard the voice ask.

"Yeah, is this Neal?" Emma asked tentatively.

"Yes. Emma, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh my God, are you okay? You've been off the grid for days and I was starting to worry. What number are you calling me from? It's showing up as an anonymous number. I almost didn't answer."

"This is a friend's phone. Mine was…stolen, I think. And I'm fine…sort of. It's a really long story," Emma was hesitant to tell him everything right away, as she didn't know who he was to her. "Let's just say that there was a mugging incident, and as a result I can't remember anything."

"Oh my God, Emma, really? Are you injured?"

"Yes, but I'm recovering and will be fine. My memory is the thing that concerns me most right now."

"You have amnesia? Like total amnesia?"

"Yes," Emma confirmed. "I didn't even know my name when I woke up. The only reason they knew it is because they found my student ID."

"Jesus, Emma, I'm so sorry. What can I do?"

Emma let out a wry chuckle. "Well to start with, you can tell me who the hell you are. The police contacted the university and they said you were listed as my emergency contact person. But, I have no recollection of anything."

Neal sighed before answering. "We're friends. We dated for a while years ago, but decided that we were better off as friends. We met each other junior year of college and have been friends ever since."

"Oh…okay. Are you a PhD student, too?"

"No. You're in the PhD program, and I finished law school last year."

"Oh. Do you live in Minneapolis?"

"Not anymore. I moved to take a job in San Diego back in September. You gave me hell about moving at first, but ultimately pushed me to accept the job."

Emma smiled. She didn't remember any of this happening, of course, but she was happy that she seemed to support her friend. "Do you know why I'm in Chicago or how long I've been here?"

Neal answered immediately. "You flew down there on Monday morning to visit your birth parents. You've been going every year for spring break since you found them five years ago. You sometimes go for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but you weren't able to this year."

"Birth parents?" Emma's heart sank and Regina instinctively grabbed Emma's hand in comfort.

"Yeah, you're adopted, Em. You were adopted by the Swans when you were a few months old. They were great parents and you loved them."

"Loved as in past tense? What happened?"

Neal audibly swallowed. "Your dad was a pilot and perished in a plane crash when you were 17. Your mom had breast cancer and passed away your senior year of college. I'm so so sorry, Emma."

Emma started to silently cry, and Regina had to fight back tears of her own. "Okay, so how do my birth parents fit into this?"

"I don't know all the details, but you told me that your parents always said you could look for your birth parents if you ever wanted to. It was a closed adoption so you ended up hiring a private investigator when you were 23. I don't know how, but he found them in Chicago. You showed up one day at their door and introduced yourself. You told me it was 'hella awkward' but you slowly got to know them and developed a relationship with them."

"Did I ever say why they gave me up?"

"They told you that they wouldn't be able to take care of you the way you deserved. From what you told me, they never gave you too much background, but you said that it sounded like they were having financial or legal trouble at the time."

"Do you know their names and phone numbers? Or their address? If I was here visiting them they must be worried sick."

"Yeah, hold on, let me get my computer and find that info…"

Regina got up and grabbed a pen and notepad for Emma, mouthing "I'll be right back" as she excused herself to run to the bathroom. She wanted to give Emma some space.

"Do I have any siblings?" Emma asked while she waited for Neal to give her info about her biological parents.

"No. Your parents couldn't have kids which is why they adopted you, but you were their only child. Your birth parents never had any other kids either. Okay, I found their info, are you ready?" Neal gave her the name, phone number, and address for the couple she was supposedly in town to see.

"Thanks, Neal."

"Sure thing. Is there anything else you need me to do? Do you want me to come out there? I'm in the middle of a trial right now but I can make time and move things around."

"No, that's okay," Emma said as Regina walked back in the room. "I'll know more once I talk to my parents and hopefully things will be back on track."

"Okay, Em. Let me know when you get a new phone. And please keep me updated. Let me know if I can help."

"Thanks, Neal." She hung up the phone as Regina brought her a glass of water and sat back down on the couch.

"So, how are you feeling?" Regina asked.

"Overwhelmed, but okay. Hopefully talking to my parents will give me some insight. Can you help me get to their place? I don't know my way around the city."

Regina nodded. "Of course." Emma handed the notepad to Regina and her heart immediately dropped as she let out a gasp. The name and address on the notepad matched the couple who had been brutally murdered the same night she found Emma. Regina had been following the story on the news since she first heard about it, but she never would have thought the two incidents were somehow connected. She looked up at the blonde as she took a deep breath. "Emma, we need to call the police. Now."


End file.
